Wings of Fire: Dark of The Moon
by BringerOfAshes
Summary: Discontinued on this website. Will be updated on Archive of Our Own. Link posted on my page.
1. Dance with The Devil

Darkness. It was all around her, threatening to consume her whole.

Tears ran down the sides of Moon's face; the silver scales on the sides shining from the wet droplets. _I might never see them again,_ her mind whispered. Moonwatcher sucked in a ragged breath, sobs of grief racking through her as her wings shuddered in response.

All she could see were flashes of everyone's shocked faces flashing rapidly behind her eyes. It was a nightmare, and one she didn't expect to leave anytime soon. Her only escape was sleep. Curling in on herself, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to let oblivion take her.

* * *

 _No one could form words. It was entirely silent, with the exception of the steady thump of wingbeats and the rustling scales of a giant, angry NightWing. Only after what seemed to be an eternity did the thousands of screams from Jade Academy begin to form which brought Moonwatcher back to the present._

 _With a sigh all too pleased, Darkstalker turned his attention to the dragonets before him. Even in such a malnourished state, there was still a regal beauty to him._

 _"Ah. That's infinitely better," he sighed in bliss as a charming yet toothy smile spread over his features. "Nice to finally meet you, Peril. Thank you so much for your help."_

 _With a push against the rubble, Darkstalker pushed himself out of the chasm and revealed his body in full. No dragon should have ever been that size, nor that thin. How he wasn't dead was beyond Moon's mind. His scales were dull and worn from years beneath stone, and the sharpness of his rib-cage made it all more real. Large wings stretched to their full extent, seeming to nearly disappear into the starry night behind him._

 _Darkstalker ran his gaze down his form, a look of distaste forming on his lips. "No, no... This certainly won't do. A form more maneuverable, perhaps?"_

 _A collective number of gasps and yelps came from the dragonets as Darkstalker's form was consumed in blinding light. No longer was there a giant dragon that could have crushed them with a swing of the hand, but instead a dragon only a bit larger than Winter himself. Darkstalker was still deathly thin, but at least he was no longer a giant._

 _"How did-" Turtle stammered, eyes wide in shock. "But the scroll- your powers-"_

 _"Hmm... Turtle, isn't it? Such a mystery. You are one of the few whose minds I couldn't reach before."_

 _Darkstalker landed onto one of the larger boulders that had fallen, tucking his wings against his sides to hide his form while he looked at the dragonets with an eerily calm expression. "I'll make things short and sweet for you. Thanks to your fiery friend over there," he nodded towards Peril, who winced, "my scroll was indeed destroyed. Yet what you all failed to realized... Once the scroll is destroyed, my powers return to me in full."_

 _"No," Moon breathed in disbelief. She felt as if her blood had turned to ice in her veins._

 _With a tilt of his head, Darkstalker turned his attention back towards Moon. He smiled at her so sweetly, so kindly - as if they had known each other their entire lives. "You still don't trust me, little Moon?"_

 _Winter growled threateningly as both he and Qibli put themselves between Moon and the animus before them._

 _"Don't talk to her," Winter snapped, bits of frostbreath trickling from his maw._

 _Giving the most bored expression, Darkstalker lifted his hand before curling it into a fist. Seconds later, Winter's wings stuttered in flight, as he began to desperately claw at his throat. Darkstalker was choking him._

 _"STOP IT!" Moon shrieked as Winter fell to the ground, gagging and gasping for air. Qibli and Turtle rushed to his side, with Peril pacing anxiously around trying to decide how she could help. Moon landed and rested her arms on Winter's side, tears beginning to form in her eyes as his eyes began to glaze over._

 _"Darkstalker, please! Please stop!" She cried, looking up at the animus with a heartbroken expression._

 _Darkstalker uncurled his fist. Winter inhaled deeply, beginning to cough violently as he did so. Raising his tail menacingly, it was now Qibli who looked up at the NightWing with pure hatred before turning to Turtle who seemed a few lighter shades of green._

 _"Can't you do anything to stop him?!"_

 _As if drawn out of a trance, Turtle's eyes widened and he looked nervously from Darkstalker to Qibli. "I-I'm only a beginner... I can't preform that sort of magic!"_

 _A low hum came from Darkstalker, and everyone glanced up to look at him nervously. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I am absolutely famished. If you could all do me the favor of pledging your unyielding allegiance to me, that would be fantastic."_

 _"Not before I turn you to a crisp, you cow-headed snot pouring scavenger!"_

 _Peril flared her wings open to lunge at Darkstalker, but he was too quick. In one swift movement, Peril was frozen in place, kneeling towards Darkstalker. Peril growled in frustration as her tail lashed out behind her._

 _"UGH! Let me go! Right now, before I-"_

 _"_ _ **Silence."**_

 _Just like that, Peril was quiet. Her mouth moved yet no words or sound came from it. Then, one by one; Turtle, Qibli, and Winter kneeled before Darkstalker... except Moon._

 _"What are you-?!" Moon began, looking to Darkstalker nervously._

 _"Now," he began, sounding quite pleased with himself, "that's more like it. The sooner you accept that I am the one true ruler of Pyrrhia, the sooner you realize your chances of living become just a bit higher. It's only because of Moon you still breathe."_

 _"Darkstalker, please listen to me," implored Moon, daring to move a bit closer to the boulder on which he sat. "You don't have to do this, there's a different path. You can start again, I promise, we can work things out-"_

 _Moon's breath caught in her throat as she let her mind touch his. His emotions were strong, thoughts racing through him so fast she could barely keep up._

 _ **Can we, Moon?**_ _his thoughts entered her mind as he stared her down. A shiver ran through her just looking into his silver-like eyes._ _ **I can see it. Now, on this timeline, if I do this... I will become King. I will be the one to bring all the tribes together under one rule, a rule full of peace and tranquility... With you by my side.**_

 _He lifted himself from the boulder and glided down to her on the ground, hardly making a sound as he did so. Nearly two heads taller than her, he dipped his head to have her eyes even with his as he gave a smile to sweet she almost forgot he was holding her friends hostage._

 _"Think of it, Moon. You and I... With our powers. We'd be a force to be reckoned with."_

 _"Don't listen to him, Moon! He's just trying to trick you! He's going to-" Qibli was cut off as his voice left him, leaving him in the same state as Peril. The SkyWing wasn't giving the kindest look._

 _"How could you do this?" Moon whispered to him, a single tear running down her cheek. Darkstalker lifted a talon and brushed it away, looking at her with concern._

 _"I know it seems bad now... But what are the deaths of a few insignificant dragons who don't matter in the future?_ _ **Our**_ _future?"_

 _Moon pulled away as if she'd been burnt. "These 'insignificant dragons' are my_ _ **friends!**_ _I won't let you kill them! You can't just treat LIVING BEINGS like your toys! If you kill them, you'll have to kill me too! I will_ _ **never**_ _help you in this."_

 _A small growl came deep from Darkstalkers throat as he barred his teeth. Moon backed away, yet kept her expression firm. The larger NightWing began to pace back and forth, occasionally glancing back and forth at Moon's friends, then to her. And then he stopped. He blinked a few times, then through his head back in a laugh._

 _"Very well then, little Moon. Then perhaps a wager?" He muse. He sounded confident, striding towards her with unnatural grace._

 _"A wager...?"_

 _"Yes." He stopped in front of Winter, who was glaring daggers up at the NightWing. "Being an extremely gracious dragon, I have decided to have a little fun. I will give you and your friends approximately one year to discover my one true weakness to be my downfall. I'll spare you all the shock and frustration by telling you my scales are indestructible. So if you do try an assassination attempt, please, be creative."_

 _Darkstalker chuckled to himself, seeming quite pleased with himself before his expression went serious once again. "As I was saying... If you find my weakness, I, Darkstalker, will completely reverse the effects done to my scales and entirely relinquish all of my animus powers."_

 _Shaking her head, Moon looked back over to her friends. All of them were either eyeing her or Darkstalker. Her answer would determine their fate._

 _"And... If I am not successful in finding your weakness?" Moon asked, dark emerald meeting silver._

 _A wicked smile formed across his face. "Then you, my Moon, will become my Queen when I rule over Pyrrhia."_

 _Silence hung in the air for what seemed like centuries. Was this really happening? Did she WANT that life? To become Darkstalkers bride-to-be if she can't find out his weakness? And what if he makes her immortal, too, and she is stuck with him forever? An unpleasant shiver ran from her horns to the tip of her tail._

 _Moon looked over to Peril, Turtle, Qibli... Winter. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was mouthing the words, "Don't do it!" over and over. A great weight was forming in her chest and her eyes were growing unbearably hot, causing tears to form once more. This might be their only chance to stop him. But she had to be smart, she had to make_ _ **sure**_ _he couldn't lie to her about this._

 _"Alright," she breathed, walking to Darkstalker with a solemn expression. "I agree to your terms... But you must swear also that no dragon will be harmed or killed during the year."_

 _With a grunt, Darkstalker began to drag a long claw across his chest in an x. It glowed a faint purple for a few seconds before fading away, as if it had never existed at all._

 _"Of course, of course... If I do, then my powers are destroyed. Do we have a deal?" He extended his hand to her, wings extending in excitement._

 _For a moment she wondered if she was deciding wrong. This could easily backfire on her. But it was one of their only chances. She looked back to Winter and her heart seemed to shatter._

 _"I'm sorry," she whispered, taking Darkstalkers hand in hers._

 _She barely had a second before her vision faded to black with Darkstalker laughing in manic glee._

* * *

When she woke, she was surrounded in darkness. For a small moment, she wondered if she was dead. No, death wouldn't leave her with a mind-splitting headache. She groaned and brought a gentle hand up to her temple. Everything seemed to hurt. Getting to her feet, she tried to look around in the darkness for any bit of light. None. Nothing at all.

A sense of dread started to wash over her, so much she felt her breath quicken. Had Darkstalker made her blind?

No, Darkstalker was many things, but he wouldn't do that to her... Would he?

Moon almost cried out in relief when a ball of light suddenly appeared above her head, illuminating the cavern she was in. But she was so transfixed by the light she couldn't think of anything else. It was like a miniature sun; brilliant and gold. And just like that, it zoomed away from her... Right into Darkstalkers hand.

She almost didn't recognize him now. His scales were bright and smooth, claws no long dull, and eyes as sharp as a hawk. It didn't change the fact that he was still unnervingly skinny, but no longer did he look like a skeleton. He admired the orb for a moment; allowing it to dance all up and down his arm.

"Do you like it?" he asked, as the orb flew back over to Moon. It circled over her head a few times before floating up near the ceiling; circling the room ever so slowly

"It's... Interesting."

Darkstalker moved towards her, keeping his wings tucked close against his body. He took a seat a few feet away from her. A second later, she felt the familiar touch of his mind brush against her own.

He tilted his head. **You don't trust me...**

"Why should I?" Moon nearly snapped. "You threaten to kill my friends- kill anyone that even dares _oppose you-_ "

"Have I ever lied to you?"

The question lingered for a moment. "What?"

"Have I ever lied to you?" Darkstalker again. His expression was serious, silver eyes nearly black in the light.

She thought about the question... While his methods were not what she approved of, and he had done some horrible things... While he might have stretched the truth on some things, he had never straight up lied to her. He had even helped her in the past when it came to her powers. Thanks to him, she could actually stand to be in a crowd.

"... No."

That response seemed to please him because he hummed and allowed himself to slip down onto the ground.

After staring at him a bit longer, she finally found more of her courage.

"How did you do it?"

He stared at her, and she felt heat rush to her face. It didn't matter that he was skinnier than normal- he had to be one of the most handsome drakes she had ever seen.

"I mean... How did you change your appearance..?. And gain more weight? It's just, you don't really look like-"

"Like a walking skeleton?" He chuckled. "Ah, yes... It does seem unnerving, doesn't it? Nothing a little magic can't fix."

"Aren't you worried about your soul at all?" Moon asked, genuinely concerned.

Darkstalker was quiet for a moment before closing his eyes. For the first time since she'd seen him, he looked exhausted. "You shouldn't concern yourself with my fate. I'm the one who is holding you hostage, remember?"

Any sympathy Moon held for him vanished. "Where are we?"

"Back inside the mountain. I thought it would a cozy little home for us. Pitch darkness is just the touch a dark, depressing cave needs."

Moon dipped her head down and stared at her talons. One major thought was plaguing her mind.

"Where are my friends?"

Darkstalker immediately stiffened at the question, slowly raising his head. Moon met his eyes and gave a small growl; flaring her wings in hurt and anger.

"Darkstalker..."

"They are unharmed, as per our agreement," Darkstalker spoke simply. "But... I do not believe you will be seeing them again until your year is up. I said nothing about keeping them away."

"You promised you would-"

"Not use my magic," he cut in. "On them. I have not. The most I have done is cast a spell so that no other dragon besides us can enter this mountain. Think of it as a giant force field, keeping out all unwanted guests."

She would have to wait a whole year to see any of her friends again? A small part of her heart wilted, but hope remained. She _would_ see them again. He said that none of them could enter, but he made it seem that she could leave at any time. It would just mean she needed to find a time when Darkstalker was distracted long enough for her to escape.

Lowering his head back onto his talons, he closed his eyes and exhaled softly. "Tomorrow morning, we shall hunt. No doubt you are hungry, I'm still starving, and I doubt you and I both want to continue to sleep on stone floor. Especially when you've been doing it for nearly two-thousand years..."

All Moon could do was lay down on the farther end of the cave; the small orb of light growing smaller and smaller until it seemed as big as a lightning bug floating about the room.

"Goodnight, little Moon."

Closing her eyes and praying this was all a dream, Moon allowed herself to sleep once more.


	2. Moonstone

Much to Moon's displeasure, it looked like everything with Darkstalker the night before really _had_ happened. She was still in the cave yet her mind-reading friend was nowhere to be seen. Light was creeping in through cracks in the ceiling; the sound of birdsong echoing softly in the distance.

It was still fairly dim inside the cave, but at least she could actually see what was around her now. And the most glaringly obvious thing she saw was that _Darkstalker was gone._

It was as if he had never been there at all; merely a nightmare that had been haunting her all along. _Don't be a snail-brain,_ she chided herself. _Of course he's here... The question is: Where?_

A tunnel opening was across the room, and Moon took it. To her surprise, lanterns were hung alongside the walls, all different colors. Shades of blue, green, and purple that gave off different scents such as peppermint and pine. Obviously, someone had gotten to work while she had been sleeping.

Just before she considered herself completely lost, a new tunnel appeared before her... Leading into a gigantic dome. It almost reminded her of Jade Mountain, minus the fact that a giant gaping hole lay at the top. Piles upon piles of stone and rubble were piled at the bottom of the cave floor.

 _Was this where he slept all this time?_

Moon carefully glided over the rubble, looking around for any signs of a giant NightWing. Absolutely nothing. With a heavy sigh, Moon landed onto the ground. Had he left the mountain? Why didn't he wake her? Maybe this could be her chance to escape...

Those thoughts were halted as something dimly glinted out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw something shining beneath a small pile of rubble. She squinted and cautiously moved forward. A gasp formed in her throat when she saw it; hundreds of small corpses of lizards and rats, the bones crushed into pieces. Moon almost turned away from the gruesome sight, but the light was still there. She walked around the bones until she reached the glow, gently pushing away the rocks until she found it.

"Oh," Moon breathed softly.

She knew what it was immediately. There, on the ground, was the bracelet. Two thousand years ago, it must have looked absolutely beautiful. Now, it was nothing but rusted wire, if it could even be called that. But it was the moonstones that radiated pure beauty. Three perfect moonstones, gleaming milky white with a sheen of sky blue. It was as if time had not touched them at all.

Curiously, Moon reached out a talon to lightly graze across the surface of the gem. Moon cried out as pain shot through her skull; feeling as though someone had just crushed her skull. She crumpled to the ground and grasped her head, choking down screams of agony. Images were flying through her skull, going so fast that she could hardly make out what they were.

And just like that... They stopped. The pain was gone, leaving only tears in their wake to prove to Moon that it had all been real. She blinked the tears away, bringing up a talon to lightly brush them away. What had that been about?

Looking back down at the bracelet, she was surprised to see the wires had crumbled to dust; leaving only the moonstones behind. Warily, she picked one up. No pain, no strange images going through her mind. _These moonstones... They did something to me._ She would keep them, she decided.

A deep, threatening growl echoed behind her. Moon froze as she felt her heart seize up in her chest. Slowly, she turned around, expecting to see a very large, very angry Darkstalker behind her.

But there was nothing. Another growl. Faint, but still there. It seemed to be coming from one of the higher ledges towards the ceiling of the dome.

 _Darkstalker?_

No reply.

Moon flared her wings open leaped into the air, flying up until she reached a ledge; the growls more frequent and loud. She landed with a soft thump, taking a few steps forward to peer into the darkness. The was a wall not far from the ledge, but it was shrouded from the overhang; making it hard to see. Another low, dangerous growl from the back. A shadow, much larger than Moon, hunched down over something.

"Darkstalker...?"

Through the darkness, she could now see what the shapes were. Darkstalker hunched over a large elk; the sound of flesh and muscle being ripped from bone. Darkstalker went still before eerily turning his head back towards Moon, his breathing slow but heavy. Moon almost felt like running in that moment. He almost didn't look real; like something out of a horror story.

His silvery eyes seemed to radiate their own light, the pupil nothing more than a thin slit. Blood poured openly from his own maw, face pulled back in a threatening snarl. Crimson liquid seemed like it had permanently stained his teeth a gory red. Moon touched his mind, and almost immediately regretted it.

 _ **Hunger. Rage. Betrayal.**_

There were no thoughts, only a swirling mass of emotions that threatened to become her own.

Darkstalker seemed to come back from his daze, because his face relaxed just a bit as he ran his tongue along his lips.

 _Forgive me, Moon, but... Now is not the time. As you can see, I'm a little busy._

Moon took a few steps back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll just... Come back later."

With a dark chuckle, Darkstalker responded with, "No need, I will come for you. You can have whatever is left, my dear."

"Oh, ah, it's fine. I'm not that hungry anyway."

A small growl came from her stomach.

"Your mouth says no, but your stomach says yes. Perhaps you and I can go looking for something a little 'fresher' later. For now..."

Darkstalker sank his teeth into the elk's meaty neck; snapping bones and tearing off a large chunk for himself. Dark liquid ran onto the stone floor, as he tilted his head back to swallow his meal. It wasn't a very hard decision for Moon to turn and return back to the ground below them. She jumped from the ledge, snapping her wings open as the air caught her to gently lower her down.

Trying to keep her mind clear of any thoughts, she began to look for a small hole to hide away the precious gems. They had done something to her, although she didn't know what. But for now she wanted to keep them. Maybe over time she would begin to understand what exactly had happened when she touched them.

Across the room, she saw a small crack in the wall. She stalked quietly over to the crack to sneak a peek inside. Sure enough, it was plenty large enough to hold the moonstones grasped in her talons. One by one she gently pushed them inside, grabbing a small rock below to hide them within the wall.

 _Please, please don't let him find them,_ Moon prayed.

She sighed and moved away, looking back towards the desolation before her as she felt her heart begin to sink. It was then that it really hit her. Loneliness.

Growing up in the rainforest had been easy. She's always been alone, nearly from the very beginning. Of course, she had the company of her mother, but she was always gone as quick as she came; only being able to stay for a few short hours at a time. The rest of it was constant hiding in fear of getting caught. Occasionally she would see the other NightWings; hunkering down into the darkness of the trees as she watched them drag another RainWing behind them. Their thin bodies, very much similar to Darkstalker, and bloodshot eyes. Her mother had often told her of NightWing kingdom on the volcano… Moon shuddered. No dragon deserved to live in such a horrible place.

But she had been lucky. Her mother had wanted a better future for her. Although now, that future wasn't looking so bright. Moon shook her head as images relayed through her mind. All of her friends bowing to Darkstalker, the look of defiance burning bright in their eyes.

She wished she hadn't left them. Darkstalker swore not to hurt them but still could have cast any other spells on them to make their lives miserable. How could she have been so stupid? Qibli's smiling face appeared in her mind. His warm scales and bright demeanor, always finding a way to make her smile.

Then there was Winter. Moon brought her talons to her chest and stared down at the ground. Her heart was so full of mixed emotions when she thought of him. One moment, he was kind; so kind that it made part of her heart melt. Yet then he could say the most hurtful things to her and not even bat an eye.

" _Yes, but at least she didn't have horrible powers," Winter said._

" _Horrible powers? You mean mind reading and visions of the future? You mean_ _ **my**_ _horrible powers?"_

Winter hadn't even apologized for that. She pretended it hadn't really bothered her, but deep down it had cut like a knife. It made her remember what Darkstalker had once said to her.

" _That's what happens," Darkstalker had said with a sigh. "But don't worry. They'll come crawling back when they need you."_

No, they weren't like that. All of them had already proven that they were true and loyal friends who wouldn't abuse her powers like that. Even though Winter was extremely harsh with his words, he always somehow found a way to make it up to her. She just hoped everyone was okay, and that she found Darkstalkers weakness sooner rather than later.

* * *

 _Hopeless. He'd been absolutely hopeless to stop was happening._

 _As soon as Moon's talons slipped into Darkstalker's, she began to fall; her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Winter's heart hammered against his chest as he struggled with all of his might to move, all but to not avail. Darkstalker pulled Moon into his arms, looking down at her face with an odd expression._

 _Had he killed her?_

" _No, Prince Winter, I have not hurt her," Darkstalker said as he turned to lock his silvery eyes onto his. Winter felt a cold shiver run down his spine, and not a pleasant one. With a flick of Darkstalkers tail, Winter felt his screaming muscles relax._

 _Winter reared and spread his wings, teeth bared with a snarl. "My people have legends about you. Leave her alone, she has nothing to do with you."_

" _Moon made her choice," Darkstalker stated calmly. "The deal is done. Don't make me break my promise. I don't think she would be all too happy with me if I broke it. Is it so wrong for me to want my life back? To use my voice, spread my wings and learn more about this new world?" He looked down at Moon's sleeping face, the smallest smirk forming in the corners of his mouth. "To find love?"_

 _Love? Winter blinked at the two, then released a loud hiss. "You_ _ **murdered**_ _your own_ _ **father!"**_

" _He was going to murder my entire_ _ **tribe**_ _," Darkstalker snapped back._

" _Winter, please," Turtle begged. "We can't fight him."_

 _Qibli was suddenly at Winter's side, grazing his wing reassuringly against his. "We can't help Moon now," he pointed out. "We should fall back and return to the mountain. We'll find out what to do from there."_

 _Winter growled but knew he was right. It might be the only way to keep Moon safe at the moment._

" _She will always be safe with me," Darkstalker snorted, sounding offended. "I'm a perfectly respectable dragon. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe it's time for dinner and a date."_

 _With Moon in his arms, Darkstalker took to the air; practically ripping Winter's heart from his chest._

 _ **I will save you,**_ _Winter vowed._ _ **Even if it kills me.**_

"Winter."

Qibli's voice drew him out of the memory, as Winter turned to look at him. The SandWing's cheery self seemed to wilt after Darkstalker had taken Moon; that frustratingly goofy smile was gone from his face. It seemed he was feeling her loss too.

"Queen Glory is here. She and the other Dragonets of Destiny requested to see us. We better hurry," Qibli said, turning to take off back towards Jade Mountain.

After the earthquake, Jade Mountain had been damaged. Whole tunnels collapsing on themselves, with whole winglets getting trapped inside. Clay and a few other brave dragonets had braved going back inside the mountain, and after a few hours, rescued those still inside. Thankfully there had been no casualties, only a lot of scrapes and bruises.

But until then, everyone had been gathered into a small valley not too far from Jade Mountain. Many of the younger dragonets kept crying, while many of the NightWing students kept screaming in terror how Darkstalker had returned once more to slaughter them all. All of the confusion was driving Winter insane, so he had distanced himself from the group to keep his sanity.

It had been a day since Darkstalker had emerged, and word had already been sent out to the other tribes of what happened, especially to Queen Glory. And now she was here.

Winter begrudgingly followed after him, a sense of dread beginning to pool in his stomach. _It's not your fault,_ he reminded himself.

When he landed, he was in a mini-circle of all the Prophecy Dragons and a very vibrant, very angry Queen Glory.

"Hello, Winter, are you okay?" A very flustered Sunny asked.

Behind her, Winter saw Peril sitting near Clay; her head hanging low with her face hidden from view. He wondered how she felt about all of this, since burning the scroll triggered Darkstalker's release. He knew he shouldn't blame her, but maybe Moon would still be with them if she hadn't touched the scroll.

"Yeah," Winter said bitterly. "I'm fine."

Qibli sighed behind him. Turtle was beside him, looking down at his talons looking as if he wanted to turn invisible. Starflight and the other female dragonet were across from Clay, a ruffled Tsunami, with Queen Glory and Deathbringer at the head of everyone.

"Prince Winter," the RainWing queen began, "please start from the beginning."

* * *

Moon had been wandering the caves when Darkstalker found her.

All of them leading to dead ends or small entrances where she could look outside. By now the sun was setting, leaving the sky a brilliant dark orange fading into indigo. She watched one by one as stars slowly began to form in the sky above her. Seeing them didn't make her feel so lonely.

"Hello again!"

Moonwatcher yelped and jumped back, nearly falling off the edge as her wings flailed to gain her balance. But talons caught hers and pulled her forward until Moon was nearly snout to snout with Darkstalker. They both blinked at each other before Moon pulled away, wanting to look at something, _anything_ but those silver eyes.

"Sorry about that," Darkstalker apologized, shifting awkwardly. "I didn't mean to startle you. I meant to find you earlier, but I was hit with a sudden burst of exhaustion after my hunt."

"It's alright," Moon replied.

The both of them went quiet, just looking out over the valley below. Moon faintly wondered if everyone at Jade Mountain was okay.

"They're fine," Darkstalker said suddenly. "I saw it. No one is hurt, besides the pride of that IceWing you insist on being around."

"Will I ever get to see them again?" Moon asked, glancing over at him.

"Of course! Do I seem like a tyrant to you? I mean, it might be a little while since I must regain my strength, but I would eventually like to meet everyone at this school. The idea of all different tribes coming to one school… I'm surprised a war hasn't broken out."

"Not everyone wants that. The school is about understanding others to prevent more wars from starting in the first place."

Darkstalker gave a dark chuckle before looking off into the growing night. "Sadly, war is always inevitable. No matter how much someone may strive for peace, it cannot be done."

"You don't know that," Moon shot back.

"Oh, don't I?" Darkstalker replied, turning to look at her. Moon lifted her head and met his gaze. Darkstalker moved towards her, and Moon took a step back. He tilted his head at her with curious eyes.

"You think I'm going to hurt you."

"I think you're not going to keep your promise."

Darkstalker barked a laugh. "Oh, you remind me of someone I use to know. Why can't anyone trust me these days? I'm a perfectly honest dragon." Moon gave him a look at that. "Okay, okay, so sometimes I stretch the truth—but I am entirely honest most of the time."

He gave her a sickeningly beautiful smile. She didn't know why, but it sent her heart into flutters and she hated that she liked it. Then she saw it. On his left ear, a small silver snake weaving through his ear. She'd seen dragons with earrings before, but this one was interesting. It seemed to sparkle in the fading light.

"What is that?" Moon asked, reaching up to touch it. She hadn't seen him wearing it before.

Darkstalker pulled away just enough that her fingers missed, a stern look suddenly in his eyes. "Just… A memory. Something I use to have a long time ago." He raised up a paw and let his talon lightly graze against the silver serpent. "It appears the magic I placed on it kept it from experiencing time's harsh treatment."

 _So it's enchanted,_ Moon thought.

"Indeed it is. I enchanted it to make myself a bit more charming around the Queen," he said, turning his head to allow Moon a better look.

"It's beautiful." That wasn't a lie.

"By the way…" Darkstalker began, turning back to her. "Have you seen the bracelet?"

Moon felt a sense of dread rise over her as she tried to shield her thoughts. _Don't let him see, don't let him see,_ _ **don't let him see.**_

Darkstalker marched forward until he was looming over Moon. Moon crouched and looked up at him nervously. That mad look in his eye from earlier had returned. Darkstalker was gone.

" _Where is it?"_ Darkstalker hissed through clenched teeth. He stared intently into her eyes, and Moon shrunk underneath him; closing her eyes and repeating the same phrase.

"So that's where they are," he breathed. With a rush of wind, Moon opened her eyes to see the end of Darkstalker's tail disappearing into the tunnels. He knew. He knew about the moonstones… And now, they would be gone.

How stupid had she been, thinking she could keep them all hidden from him. Of course, he would have found out about them sooner or later. Moon got to her feet to return to her sleeping cave when a familiar shudder began making its way back up her spine.

She gasped when the vision overtook her.

Only, this wasn't a vision…

 _The scene was very strange. She was in a different Kingdom, one she had never seen before. The sky was dark and filled with stars, the moons above silver and brilliant. NightWings, hundreds of them, filling the air and flying to different towers made from the stones covered in vines. It was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen._

 _Was this the Lost City of Night?_

 _Then she saw her. There, sitting under shaded pine trees was… Her?_

 _Her eyes scanned through the crowd as if she was looking for someone. Moon moved closer to look at her, and Moon almost felt sick. This dragon looked an awful lot like her. Was she a possible ancestor? And then she heard the yelling, with her twin looking off into the distance. Three other NightWings were yelling at another but… She looked very odd._

 _Her wing membranes were pale white; with the most startling pale blue eyes she had ever seen. Then Darkstalker appeared behind her, giving the three NightWings a deadly look. A few words were exchanged, and Darkstalker lead the strange-looking NightWing away. Moon wouldn't deny, she was intensely beautiful._

 _Then she realized… They were coming straight towards her. Moon nearly fell when they got close, but she caught herself as they walked by. Her twin stepped into the moonlight, and Darkstalker froze in his path as the other continued on._

" _Very impressive," her twin mused._

" _What?" There it was. That charming smile that made her heart do strange flip-flops in her chest. "What'd I do?"_

" _I don't know how you engineered it," she began, taking a step forward with a smile. "But wow, you've covered everything, haven't you? Courage, check. Caring about his sister, check."_

 _The other NightWing was Darkstalker's sister?! That would explain her wings and eyes._

" _Defending the vulnerable, standing up to bullies, making sure everyone apologizes neatly. With a demonstration to show off your intelligence at the end, too. Did you pay those guys? Because that was just perfect."_

" _Do I know you?" Darkstalker teased, a trying to look wounded._

 _The female dragon laughed, and the two carried on conversation for several minutes. The Darkstalker she was seeing here was almost… Different. His smile didn't seem as forced, like he wasn't carrying the entirety of Pyrrhia on his wings._

 _She was drawn back in when her doppelganger giggled and Darkstalker moved a little closer. "Has anyone ever told you that you are a_ terrible _seer?" she said. "That whole fluttery conversation sounded nothing like me."_

" _That's a relief," Darkstalker replied with a giant grin. He dipped his head, their foreheads almost touching as he gazed down into her eyes with a look of pure love and adoration. Moon saw the end of their tails begin to twine together. A small spark of jealousy brewed in Moon's chest at the sight, be she listened to the words Darkstalker said next._

" _But couldn't we let this be a_ tiny _more romantic? I mean, it's not every day I meet my soulmate. Just this once, in fact. Right now."_

 _How had she not seen it?_

" _Clearsight," Moon choked out._

 _Darkstalker reached out and tenderly took Clearsight's talons in his. "Don't worry about the future," he whispered intently, a gentle smile forming on his features. "Just be with me, in this moment, when we are both happy as we've ever been in our whole lives so far."_

 _She looked like Clearsight. Was this part of the reason why Darkstalker wanted her? Why he insisted on keeping her near_?

Before she could ask any more questions, the scene began to fade and she was suddenly standing by the ledge once more; the sky a dark shade of indigo. What was that? A vision of the past? But how had that happened? An image of the moonstones appeared in her mind. Did she gain the ability to see those moments after she touched them?

She didn't know how, but one thing was clear: She needed to get back those moonstones.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone. Thank you for all the lovely and wonderful feedback. Everyone has been so wonderful and positive. First off, yes, I DID USE SCENES FROM THE DARKSTALKER: LEGENDS BOOK. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS AND ALL THOSE QUOTES BELONG TO TUI. NOT ME. I was only using it for reference in a scene, and I will be doing that again in the future.**

 **It's so beautiful. Both of them are amazing, and I am so grateful. To a few of my reviewers, I am still getting into the saddle when it comes to writing Darkstalker, so I will try my best to make him a bit more charming. I'm trying to make him a little more stern for the fact of future plot purposes. It'll all be explained in greater detail when it's written out. Or if you are curious now, just shoot me a PM.**

 **And to MistyFeline... Yes, I am aware of Turtle and Anemone in this. I've thought of poisons and many ways for Darkstalker to (possibly) die. Trust me, I'm aware of these things, and it will all be (yet again) revealed in the future. Until then, enjoy!**


	3. Tag, You're It

_Where are you?_

Moonwatcher had been fairly shaken after the encounter with Darkstalker. The mad look in his eye, the way his thoughts had immediately turned dark and dangerous. It had been such strong emotions, all of them focused on finding that bracelet.

But why would he want anything to do with the moonstones in the first place? Especially if they had him trapped for so long, to begin with. Then there was her vision with Clearsight. Why had Moon looked so much like her? It didn't add up. She had too many questions and not enough answers.

A sigh escaped from her as she warily walked back through the mountain. She found herself getting lost at least twice, but the glowing lanterns always seemed to lead her in the right direction.

Eventually, she made it back to the resting cave. It was dark now, the only light available to her the small glowing orb up by the ceiling and the distant glow of green light coming from the hall. She curled up against a far wall, resting her head on to her paws. She found that she severely missed her bed back at Jade Mountain. Perhaps Darkstalker would be kind enough to let her find some bedding at least.

"Going to sleep so early?"

Moon hadn't even heard Darkstalker enter. She jumped a bit and looked up at him. The scene looked ominous; Darkstalker standing in the mouth of the entryway, green light flickering like tongues of fire behind him as his silver eyes moved over her form as if he wanted to consume her whole. She sucked in a breath when her eyes drifted down to see the moonstones.

Darkstalker had somehow had created a stone obsidian armband, all three moonstones gleaming an eerie milky white in the green light; the biggest sitting in the middle. Moon felt a small surge of fear. _What had he enchanted them to do?_

His gaze seemed to soften as he began to walk towards her. Moon quickly got to her feet, taking a few steps back. Darkstalker's expression changed once again, but this time to one of hurt.

"Why?" he asked not so much a question for her but himself. "Moon, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not going to hurt you."

Moon didn't respond, refusing to look at him and instead opting to stare down at her talons. He came closer, bringing up a talon to gently run across the silver tear-dropped scales by her eyes. Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs; his talons cool to the touch. His scent filled the air around her. A smell that was a mixture of pine and earth, with something else she couldn't place.

"Moon, please look at me."

She didn't want to, she didn't. But he slipped a talon under her chin and something seemed to compel her to do as he said, to try and please him in whatever way she could.

His silvery blue eyes bored into hers. They weren't like Winters eyes, dark and blue like the oceans to the north; no, Darkstalker's looked as if they had captured the starlight itself. A cold, distant silver that shouldn't even exist for any dragon. She wanted to hate them but instead found herself wanting to get lost in them for eternity.

"I am sorry for scaring you earlier. Just please, these stones… They mean a lot to me. It's one of my last links to the past. Don't take that from me."

He pulled away just a bit with a smile. Lifting his arm, he brought the armband with the moonstones up for closer inspection. "I was foolish, now that I think about it. Having a _scroll_ to channel my animus powers through. Even more so for thinking I could trust Fathom and…" He stopped, a look of betrayal crossing his features before masking it with another smile. "Anyway, what do you think? _This_ time I have all of my magic in the moonstones."

Moonwatcher's eyes widened a bit. "Darkstalker, you shouldn't— "

Darkstalker cut her off with a snort, waving his hand in dismissal. "Look, if I am feeling super evil in the next couple of spells, I'll stop, alright? But seriously, watch this."

A manic grin spread across his face as he walked away from her. He looked around the room, spotting a small pile of stones in a corner. Darkstalker's face went serious. Ever so slowly, with the arm with the moonstones on it, he lifted his talons. At first, nothing happened, but then, Moon saw it. One by one, all the stones began to rise into the air.

They stones circled in the air, flying by the glowing orb and even over their heads before falling into a straight line in front of Darkstalker. Darkstalker grinned, curling his hand into a fist as the stone's all slowly crumpled into dust.

"Isn't it amazing? Moon, I don't even have to say anything. I just have to _think_ what I want to happen and I can make it so." He looked back down at his bracelet. "I should have done this the first time… But I suppose I was just trying to clear out the concerns of my friends. But I know better now." Darkstalker shrugged.

 _He's gotten so much stronger,_ Moonwatcher thought with a sense of dread. He's already placed his magic back into another object. One that she highly doubts she can't break or burn. _The moonstones can't be his weakness now because he's probably already enchanted them._

Darkstalker cast Moon a dark look for a moment. "It's… Really amazing," Moon offered meekly.

"It is, isn't it?" Darkstalker sighed, going to lay down on his side of the cave. "I suggest you sleep, my dear Moon. Tomorrow you will hunt with me, and you falling asleep during a hunt won't be very productive for neither of us."

She hadn't eaten today, so no doubt tomorrow she would be starving. "Where will we be going?"

"Certainly not towards the valley. We'll fly east, try to find something a little way from home. Besides, I want to see more of what has changed throughout the years during my sleep."

Moon nodded, curling back up against a wall; her wings wrapping around herself tightly. How could she possibly sleep now? Too much was happening too fast. At this rate, by the end of the month, he might be too powerful. Even if she _did_ find his weakness, how was she going to use it to destroy him? Moon wanted to nearly cry from how helpless she felt.

There wasn't any use moping. She had to try and play his game. Had to have him believe that she was on his side…

 _No,_ her mind screamed at her. That was a dangerous game. It was like playing with fire, and there was a very, _very_ high chance of getting burned in this game. But now that Darkstalker could use his powers at will again, she didn't have a choice.

 _Let the games begin._

* * *

Moon didn't sleep that night. Throughout the night she kept having flashes of memories that didn't belong to her. She saw herself hugging two older dragons of whom she called mother and father, flying out into a hurricane with Darkstalker, and laughing with another female NightWing she didn't recognize but felt a sort of kinship to.

She felt herself drifting off into another dream when a warm snout gently nudged at her side.

"Moon."

She frowned, pulling her wing further up over her head to hide from whatever was trying to wake her from her dream. She didn't want to lose any more clues. Another nudge, harder this time.

"Moon, wake up. It's time to go."

It was too late. The images faded, and she was very much awake. She peeked her eyes open as she lowered her wing, blinking up to see Darkstalker looking down at her. He had a bit of a smirk on his face.

"Did you know you mumble in your sleep? It's kind of adorable."

Moonwatcher groaned as heat returned to her face, pulling herself up onto her feet. "So I've been told," she replied with a yawn. She still felt tired, but the grumbling in her stomach convinced her she did need to get up. Besides, they were going hunting. She would get out of the mountain for the first time in days.

"Mmm. Well, let's get going. We have about an hour before sunrise." Darkstalker moved to the entrance, looking back at her before disappearing down the hall. Moon followed after him. A few minutes later, they reached the opening to the cliff they were last night.

Images from last night's encounter crept into her mind. The mad look in his eye, the change of voice. Perhaps only certain things triggered that reaction? She would have to look further into what caused it. Darkstalker looked back at her. Moon poked her head outside before walking up beside him.

The morning sky was a dark gray, slowly turning to a pale white-gold off in the distance. Stars were already fading off into nothingness.

Without so much as a word, Darkstalker let himself fall over the edge of the cliff. For a moment there was nothing but silence… Until a dark shadow flew back up; dark wings so large they seemed to block out the remaining glimmering light of the moon.

He looked down at her. "Are you coming?"

Moon noticed a thin line of white scales by his wings. Maybe they were from his fathers' side? She looked over the edge, then back at him. Why was she hesitating? She was supposed to be playing his game. Pretend to be on his side.

She gave a small smile, jumping out after him. He smiled at her, allowing his wing to brush lightly against hers as he began flying east. Moon followed close behind him; their wingbeats almost in perfect unison. Off in the far distance was Jade Mountain. Her mind briefly considered trying to make a break for it. To make a mad dash for freedom to the mountain.

But that would only end in tragedy, as she knew that Darkstalker would only use his powers to lure her back. Then he would probably never let her leave the mountain ever again. She sighed and focused on staying close behind Darkstalker.

After nearly an hour of flying later, Darkstalker began his descent down into the forest below. Moments later they landed in a thicket.

 _Alright, there's a large herd of white-tailed deer around here,_ Darkstalker's mind echoed. _The last I saw; they were just a little bit north of here. Many females with their young. I put us south of the wind so they wouldn't catch our scent. You fly up ahead and lure them to my destination and I'll see if we can have a decent breakfast._

 _Are you sure about this?_ Moon replied, opening her wings.

 _Positive. Get going, before they decide to move once again!_

Moonwatcher nodded, returning once again to the sky above. Just as Darkstalker instructed, she continued north, flying just a bit ways eat to make a circle around. She was only gliding on the winds for a good fifteen minutes before she spotted them. It wasn't a large herd; only about ten does and a buck with a few fawns.

With a growl, Moon tucked her wings in and dived. The deer hadn't even seen her coming. Their cries of panic filled the air as they all began to sprint for the trees; white tails flashing up into the air. But Moon had found her prey. A small buck no more than a year old. Moon was cutting and diving in different directions with the herd; back towards Darkstalker's eager talons.

 _Get ready! They're almost on top of you,_ Moon thought as she ducked to miss a branch.

She got no reply. But they were right by the ambush, where was-?

Moonwatcher reared back as Darkstalker jumped from one of the trees above; landing with a large **crunch** over the buck. The poor thing flailed for in his talons for a moment, fear flashing in the whites of its eyes. Darkstalker hissed as he brought his open maw down, snapping the buck's throat. Moon landed onto the ground silently as she carefully walked toward Darkstalker, who was till hunched over the buck.

"You startled me," Moon offered with a small laugh, "but great job. You really— "

Darkstalker's head snapped up and he clamped his jaw shut; making Moon jump back with a startled yelp.

There it was again. The madness had returned to his eyes once again. His breath was coming out in slow, heavy pants as he stared at her, taking a step forward.

Every fiber within Moonwatcher's being was screaming at her to fly far, far away from here. She wasn't with Darkstalker right now, but with someone entirely different. She could run right now, but that would defeat her entire purpose of trying to find out exactly what made him tick.

Swallowing, Moon held her ground and stared into Darkstalker's eyes with determination. "Darkstalker, stop." She stated firmly. He kept inching towards her, a half-crazed smile on his face.

"Darkstalker, it's over. Come back. _Stop._ "

But he truly was gone from her. She waited for the worst to happen as he leaned over her. Instead, he dipped his head down beside her ear. "Enjoy your meal," he whispered, before continuing past her.

She was frozen. She tried to move, but it was almost as if she had become a statue. After what seemed an eternity, she finally regained control of her limbs. Moon whirled around; looking around for any signs of Darkstalker. But it was almost as if he had never even existed.

"Darkstalker!"

Birds chirped happily off in the distance.

"Darkstalker, where are you?!"

Still no reply. Wherever he had gone, he wasn't coming back for a while. Despite her worries, her stomach grumbled at her angrily. If he wasn't going to show himself, she might as well eat. Warily, she turned back to the buck and began her meal.

Nearly an hour later, with a full belly and higher spirits, she began her search for Darkstalker once more. She took to the sky, flying over the same paths as before the hunt began. Occasionally she called out to him with her thoughts, hoping he would answer her; all to no avail.

She found him at high noon. Moon had been flying along a river when she spotted him. Darkstalker was sitting down by the water, looking into the running waves before him.

"There you are!" Moon let out a breath of relief as she landed. "I was worried about you." She spoke truthfully. He gave no response. She frowned as she came to sit beside him, looking over at him with a worried expression. "Are you okay?"

"Do you think I'm a monster?"

The question surprised her. Moon blinked, tilting her head. "What?"

He inhaled sharply, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back towards the sky. He stayed like that for a moment before looking down at her again with a stern expression.

"Be honest with me. Do you think I am a monster?"

The mad look was completely gone from his eyes. He was her Darkstalker again. Hers. Her heart did a small flutter at the ridiculous notion as she tried to focus on the question at hand.

"No," she began carefully. Nervousness bubbled up inside her, but she needed to express her concerns. This might make him trust her a little more. "But Darkstalker, listen to me. You _change_ in some situations… I'm not sure you realize it, but it's like you become an entirely different person." Being bold, she reached her talons out and placed them over his. "I know that's not who you are. It's your _magic._ It's twisting your mind. Maybe Fathom and Clearsight were right, maybe you should stop—"

"What do you know about Fathom or Clearsight?" Darkstalker yelled, jumping to his feet and growling down at Moonwatcher. "What do you know about my soul or magic? What do you know about _anything?_ "

For the first time in days, Moon's anger arose. "I know that it's affecting you mentally, and I know that Clearsight _cared_ about you! Stop letting your ego grow for a second and just _listen to me._ Deny it all you want, your magic IS affecting your soul." Moonwatcher's expression softened just a bit. "Please, Darkstalker… You've made some mistakes, but I know there is good in you. But you can't keep using your magic unless you want to lose yourself completely."

Darkstalker snarled moving away from her to pace up and down along the riverbank. He did this for several minutes, refusing to look at Moon. Finally, he spoke.

"It's time we return home. It will be dark in a few hours, and it appears that it will rain later. Let's go."

He didn't bother to wait for her, Darkstalker opened his wings and leaped into the air; beelining straight for the mountain. Moon's spirits seemed to wither a bit at how cold he seemed now. Was there any hope at redeeming him? Or was he always doomed from the start, just as Clearsight had predicted?

Maybe Clearsight had been onto something when she had given Darkstalker the bracelet…

With a heavy heart, Moonwatcher followed after Darkstalker.

Sure enough, dark clouds rolled over the horizon off in the distance with thunder grumbling its displeasure.

When they reached the mountain, Darkstalker landed on the ledge and moved inside without a word. Moon, on the other hand, stayed to look at the oncoming storm. Most rain clouds were a cloudy gray, yet these were dark and she would occasionally see faint flashes of lightning. Even though she knew her friends were okay, was Jade Mountain able to withstand this storm? Jade Mountain had taken a heavy blow with Darkstalker's awakening, and she was concerned about all the others.

Were Winter and Qibli alright? What about Turtle or Peril?

 _Even more so, Kinkajou…_

She missed the vibrant RainWing more than ever. The way she wore her personality on her scales—literally. Her personality seemed to always calm Moon down. Without her around, it seemed like the world was just a little more... boring.

 _She will wake soon,_ Darkstalker's voice spoke. _She will be in a lot of pain and have a hard time flying, but she will live._

 _Oh, thank the moons._ Moonwatcher had been so caught up in everything the past few days, she hadn't had time to think too much about the RainWing. But she did hope to see her again soon... If at all... then he didn't really need company, did he?

Moon walked after Darkstalker with her head held high, trying not to pay attention to the larger NightWing. If he wanted to care more about his powers than his sanity, then he didn't really need company, did he?

Before she turned down the path towards her sleeping cave, Darkstalker stopped her with a wing. He craned his head down to look at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"May I help you?" Moon asked evenly.

Darkstalker stared at Moon for a long time before shaking his head. He let out a slight groan, closing his eyes for a brief moment before looking into her eyes once more. "Must I really say it?" He huffed.

Moon frowned, looking over at one of the blue torches up ahead. "Say what?" she replied innocently. Darkstalker's tail lashed angrily but his expression didn't change.

"You want me to apologize for earlier," he replied slowly, narrowing his eyes. "My magic is contained, my soul is safe."

"Is it?" Moon questioned as she leaned in instead of pulling away. Being bold, she brushed her wing against his side. "You don't have to apologize to me," she began, "but at least try to think of what it _could_ do to you if you did... Please? For me?"

His scales were cool against her's. Not quite like Winter's which felt like walking into freshly fallen snow, but like a cool breeze in fall.

Straightening himself up to full height, he continued to stare down at her. She tried keeping her mind blank in order to block him out; imagining an invisible shield over her head. The arches over his eye pulled together in a slight frown, but besides that he was unreadable to her. She couldn't even hear what _he_ was thinking.

After a long moment of silence, he seemed to visibly relax. He gave her a devilishly handsome smile, leaning down to brush his snout lightly against her cheek.

"As you wish, my Moon," he whispered before pulling away. He strode several feet down the hall, leaving Moon frozen in her tracks before he turned to glance behind him one more time.

"Don't wait up for me. I have some things to do. Goodnight."

And just like that, he was gone and Moon was alone once again.

* * *

Thunder boomed in the distance. The ground shook, and water was leaking through the ceiling. She was cold, her wings shivering around her frame. She didn't know how late it was, only that the storm outside had gotten worse. There were a few storms that would occasionally pass over the rainforest, but nothing ever this severe.

 _Cold, why must it be so cold,_ her thoughts whispered. At this moment she would have given anything to be back in her bed again. Piled with blankets and nice warm lanterns for light... The soft snoring of her clawmates in the background...

Moon curled her talons in towards herself, trying very hard to focus on going back to sleep. But she was shaking so hard from the cold she doubted she would. The mountain gently shook, grumbling and groaning it's protest. Part of her wished Qibli was here... To press up beside her, wrap his wings around her and keep her safe from the elements.

A few moments later, a large figure curled against her side. She almost recoiled from the touch from how cold it was.

"W-Winter?" Moon whimpered softly, moving to lift her head.

"Shhh, sleep," a deep voice cooed in her ear. "Sleep, and dream of home."

Arms pulled her close to a broad chest, as cold wings began to envelop her. She almost pulled away but stopped when she felt the coolness begin to disappear; replaced by soothing warmth that Moon wanted to melt into. Gentle talons ran down the spines of her neck, stopping to trace one lazy talon lightly between where her shoulders and wings met. Moon wanted to speak, but her voice was lost in a moan of pleasure.

"Goodnight, Moonwatcher."

* * *

 **Hello my angels! I am SO sorry this took a little longer than normal! A full time job is simply not fun. This would have been out sooner, but I really don't want to force myself to write. I want to give you guys quaility. So I really hope this comes up to some of your standards. Reviews are always welcome!**

 **Also, if any of you are artists and are open for commissions, please feel free to contact me either here or on DeviantART as I am looking to commission a cover for my fic. Have a wonderful holiday guys! Next chapter should be in about 2 to 3 weeks. Hang in there!**

 **\- Max, or lovingly known as Ashes**


	4. It's Over, Isn't It?

_She didn't know where she was. A strange cave, beautifully decorated. Moon looked around the room in confusion, her emerald eyes landing on a NightWing she'd seen before. The same one from the last vision, with the oddly colored eyes and white wings. She was humming happily to herself as she was painting a picture that included herself, two other NightWings, and a larger IceWing... But one of those NightWings looked..._

 _"Bore me to sleep!"_

 _Moonwatcher turned her head at the familiar voice, becoming momentarily distracted by the female NightWing in front of her. Giving one last glance, she walked towards the voice. Down the hallway, she entered a small cave... One that had Darkstalker and Clearsight in it._

 _Both of them were curled up into a nest, tangled in blankets together while a scroll spoke out loud. No doubt one of Darkstalker's enchantments._

 _But what amazed her the most, was how... Happy, Darkstalker looked. It was an expression that was pure and full of love. It made Moon wonder just how Darkstalker had gone to... the one she knew now, from this one. Had his magic and greed corrupted him so badly that he truly lost himself? It made Moonwatchers heart ache._

 _"What is going on in here?" A voice snarled in Moonwatcher's ear. Moon yelped and jumped several feet in the air, whirling around to come snout to snout with a very big, very angry IceWing. But he wasn't looking at her, and was instead looking at Darkstalker and Clearsight._

 _This was no doubt Darkstalkers father, Prince Arctic. If she looked at him closely... She could see that Arctic and Darkstalker shared the same eye shape._

 _Darkstalker jumped to his feet, his tail lashing behind him as Clearsight clutched the scroll with a terrified look on her face, muttering something under her breath._

 _"This is my room," Darkstalker snapped venemously. "You're not allowed in here."_

 _Moon winced. He hadn't been lying when he said the the two had a lot of problems..._

 _"Did you enchant the scroll the speak?" Arctic asked, his sky-blue eyes seeming to stare into Darkstalker's own soul._

 _"Yes," Darkstalker replied defiantely, raising his chin._

 _"So," Arctic exhaled a small cloud of frostbreath. Why did Moon get a cold shiver just watching that? "You're an animus after all."_

 _"I guess I am."_

 _Moon was distracted when Clearsight nervously crawled out of the bed, walking over to the scroll on the desk. She gasped. Darkstalker's scroll! There it was, with his hand-writing written messily towards the top. She was so transfixed by Clearsight taking the scroll and rolling it up into her arms that she didn't even listen to the argument between father and son. Poor Clearight got a faraway, distant look in her eyes; her wings were beginning to tremble. Was she having a vision?_

 _She whimpered quietly, wrapping her wings around herself as she pressed talons against her forehead._

 _"What's wrong with her?"_

 _Darkstalker was by Clearsight's side in a moment, gently rubbing smooth circles along her back._

 _"Are you alright?" he whispered. "What did you see?"_

 _Grey-green eyes fluttered open... And stared straight up at Moonwatcher._

* * *

Moonwatcher was startled awake, wings shaking. She looked around, still expecting to be in Darkstalker's cave with Clearsight. But she wasn't, only the cold and wet one where she currently lived. It was dark, and rain still dripped through the ceiling. No doubt the storm was still peltering the ground outside.

Yet it was the position she was in that made her heart skip a few beats. Powerful arms had snaked around her at some point, with Darkstalker's midnight colored wings encasing her in a sort of blanket.

Darkstalker groaned softly, nuzzling his snout into the side of Moon's neck. Moon was pretty sure her heart was going a million miles an hour. When had he done this during the night? Yet she couldn't be angry at him, because the expression on his face was... So peaceful. No worries, nothing forced... Just Darkstalker.

"Moon," he sighed blissfully.

Moonwatcher's whole face grew warm, and she tried to ignore the butterflies that fluttered around in her chest.

 _Are you awake?_ her mind whispered, hoping he wasn't.

No response. Just slow breathing.

Thunder sang it's deep song off in the distance, the ground grumbling it's protest. Moonwatcher shook her head and tried to go back to sleep.

When she woke again she was alone. No thunder or rain, but there were still droplets of water falling from the ceiling every now and then. Grey light poured in from the crack as Moon got to her feet, wrinkling her snout as droplets of water landed on her. No doubt Darkstalker was out hunting once more.

He'd really filled out his form over the past few days. _No doubt from his magic._

Besides being a little thinner than average, he looked nearly completely normal.

Moon made her ways down the hall, the tip of her tail flicking from side to side. Torchlight flickered a soft blue, casting dark shadows against the cave walls. Eventually she made it to the entryway, water droplets dripping from the ceiling. Darkstalker couldn't be angry with her if she was hungry.

While the rain had stopped, the skies were still a dark grey and the wind off in the distance made the trees dance.

He could complain to her later, she was going. She jumped off the ledge, free falling for a moment before letting her wings open to gently carry her on the wind. Moon debated heading back to the forest where their first hunt had taken place, but that was too far and there was no telling when the storm could pick up again. She needed to be careful.

Off in distance, she knew Jade Mountain awaited her. Darkstalker _was_ gone... Surely she could sneak by and at least let her friends know she was okay? Moon's tail lashed indecisively.

 _I'm going._

Moon took flight into the air, wings pounding furiously against the air. She had to hurry as there was no telling when Darkstalker would return. This was practically suicide, but it was killing her inside not to see her friends. She was so lonely...

Her thoughts were interrupted when a shadow caught her eye. Below her within the trees. Black scales and a flash of silver.

Was it Darkstalker? Was he watching her from the shadows?

 _Darkstalker?_ she called out nervously. She hovered in the air for a moment, waiting for his response. Silence.

 _Darkstalker, is that you?_

Moon held her breath. Then, in the very far back of her mind; a voice so soft she barely heard it.

 _Hello._

But it wasn't Darkstalker. His voice was a deep timbre that filled her mind like sweet music, while this was shy and quiet, and... She'd heard that voice before.

Tipping her wings, she glided to the ground; landing silently among the trees. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dragon that seemed so desperate to hide from her.

"Is anyone there?" Moon called.

 _Here._

The mindreader turned her head, seeing a dark shadow slipping further into the forest. Moon moved into a trot, trying to keep up with the dragon ahead. No matter what she did, she couldn't get close enough to get a good look. It couldn't have been Darkstalker... He was too bold, he preferred the straight forward approach rather than playing mind games.

This continued on for awhile. Moon eventually losing the others trail, sniffing for a scent yet finding nothing, before becoming frustrated and stopping before the shadow eventually appeared against and led her further into the forest.

Moonwatcher was growing tired of this. She couldn't keep wandering around! No doubt Darkstalker was back, and he was probably looking for her.

Fear seized up in her chest.

 _What if he goes after her friends?_

 _Don't be afraid._

The voice again. Yet it was louder now, stronger. So achingly familiar and also foreign to her ears.

Moon moved into a clearing, gasping at the sight before her. There, by the water, sat a NightWing by a small stream. _But..._

Clearsight looked back at Moonwatcher, eyes bright and full of sorrow.

"Hello, Moon," she greeted gently.

This couldn't be happening. Moon shook her head, taking a hesitant step forward.

"Hello," Moon responded, unsure of how to feel. In her visions, Moon had noticed that she and Clearsight had shared a large resemblance, but didn't realize just how much. It was almost like they were a mirror, reflecting the other. The only difference she could see was the shade in scales. While Moons contained dark emeralds, Clearsight seemed to have iridescent indigo.

"I'm... Sure you have questions," Clearsight began, looking down at her talons.

"How are you here?" Moon blurted. "I thought you were-"

"Dead?" Clearsight finished. "I am..."

Moon went very still. Clearsight got to her feet, moving closer to her doppelganger.

"I'm not really here, Moon. I'm in your mind." A small, broken smile crossed her face. "I don't know if this is right... But, I think, when I gave Darkstalker the bracelet, he trapped a small part of my soul within the bracelet." Her wings dropped. "And when you touched the moonstones... That part of me now exists in you."

It made sense, now that she thought about it. The excruciating pain she suffered when she touched those stones. But a part of this frightened her. What did she know, what did she see? Would she always be there?

"Wait, wait, _stop_ \- it hurts when you think so fast."

"I'm sorry, I just," Moon sucked in a breath. "I don't know how to feel about this. This is a lot to take in."

"I understand. I'm not entirely sure what to make of this whole situation myself."

"So... What are we? To each other?" Moon asked, taking a seat.

"I don't know, to be honest," Clearsight replied. "I've tried figuring that out myself."

She looked so sad, so tired. Moon felt a tug in her chest like she was looking at a long lost sister. Gently, she extended a wing to rest across her wings; jumping when her wing completely phased through her.

"Sorry," Clearsight sighed. "I only have so much energy. It was hard enough to be able to manifest myself to speak to you like this."

"It's okay." Moon tucked her wing back at her side.

Violet eyes met emerald. "Moon, I need you to listen to me. Darkstalker... He's..." Her voice broke, and tears seemed to be forming in her eyes. "I know he's done some terrible things, I know he on a dark path, but please; _save him_. Please, Moonwatcher, I know there is good in him left. He can be pulled back to the light. But he needs guidance."

Clearsight tilted her head back to the sky, her eyes slipping closed as she did so. A small wince of pain rippled across her face.

"It's his magic. It needs to be destroyed."

"How? You can't just destroy it, and I doubt Darkstalker will be keen on giving me the bracelet."

Clearsight lowered her head, bringing a talon to her head. She swayed a bit and Moon reached out to catch her but Clearsight fell right through her.

"So tired," she whispered. She looked back to Moon. "You'll find a way, I know." Clearsight gasped in pain, her wings wrapping around herself. "I'm so sorry. I can't keep this form up any longer... I need... Rest..."

"Wait!" Moon cried as she jumped back onto her feet.

"Sorry," Clearsight breathed as her form faded into nothing; leaving Moon alone in the clearing... At least, not truly. Clearsight was with her. She would help. Maybe next time she could ask what happened and find a solution to steal Darkstalker's bracelet.

Moonwatcher jumped when she heard the brush rustle behind her.

"Who's there?" She called, prepared for fight or flight.

"Moon?"

A familiar SandWing with a scar across his snout stepped into the clearing, golden eyes bright and disbelieving.

"Qibli," Moon choked out as Qibli rushed to her, pulling Moonwatcher into his arms. His wings were around her in the next second as if to shield her from the world.

"Oh, pitvipers, I thought I'd never see you again," Qibli sighed as he nuzzled his face into her neck.

"Oh, Qibli, I'm glad you're okay," Moon whispered as tears formed in her eyes. _He's alive, he's okay._

Qibli pulled away, looking down at her. "We were all so worried. You wouldn't believe all that's happened after you left. Jade Mountain... Moon, half of it caved in. All of the students got out okay, but it was still very bad. I mean, _Queen Glory_ even came to examine the damage."

"Is Winter okay?" Moon asked.

Qibli's wings sagged a bit, but he kept a grin on his face. "Still as cold and bitter since I last saw him, besides being a little more frigid." He chuckled. "Ehe, get it?"

Moon giggled. For the first time in days, Moon could breathe a little easier. She'd genuinely missed Qibli.

The SandWing's expression softened as he gently pulled Moonwatcher's talons into his own. "Moon," he began gently. "Come back with me."

Her heart sank at his words.

"Qibli-"

"Moon _, please_. We'll protect you. He can't do this to you... Hold you as a _prisoner_." There were so many emotions in his eyes that Moon couldn't identify them. "We'll find a way to stop him. Forget the deal, come back to Jade Mountain, there has to be another alternative."

The offer was there... To return back to the mountain and be with her friends again. Queen Glory might know about Kinkajou, and she'd get to see the others... But what about Darkstalker? What would he do once he discovered she'd betrayed him? No, it was better to stay... Too much could go wrong could happen if she left now.

"I can't, Qibli. I made a deal and I plan to stick by it."

"Do you have anything? Any clue what his weakness could be?"

Her wings drooped. "No," she admitted sadly.

"Then come back. With all of us together, there is no doubt in my mind we'll be able to-"

 _ **"Be able to do what?"**_

The two dragons heads shot up at the other voice, Moon feeling her blood turn to ice in her veins as Darkstalker himself stood a few feet away.

How had she not heard him coming?

"Darkstalker, wait," Moon pleaded as Qibli moved to stand in front of her; raising his tail defensively as a deadly growl formed in his throat.

Silvery blue eyes moved from Qibli and back up to Moon. There was a look of hurt and betrayal on his face. "You planned on leaving the mountain? Leaving me?"

"No, it's not like that. Qibli just-"

" _ **YOU.**_ " Darkstalker hissed, his massive black wings flaring as he reared back on two legs. His eyes were directly on Qibli.

Qibli lunged forward, and the two dragons charged each other. Moon screamed as the two bodies writhed against each other, gold against black, the sound of scales being torn and crimson liquid staining the ground beneath them.

"STOP!"

But the two continued. Darkstalker was unphased, his scales still perfect and shiny. Yet Qibli had large slashes across his shoulder, bite marks on his neck and throat, blood flowing profusely from the wounds. The two broke free for a split second before Darkstalker lashed his tail around, hitting Qibli directly against his jaw. A loud _crack_ filled the air.

Qibli hit the ground hard; gasping for air. Darkstalker stalked forward, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Moon ran forward and threw herself over Qibli's bloody body.

"Moon," Darkstalker snarled, talons curling against the ground. " _Move_."

"No!" Moon yelled defiantly, looking up to meet his glare with her own. She got to her feet, wings flared to shield Qibli's body. "He's my friend... Can't you see they only care about me? They want to make sure I'm _safe,_ Darkstalker."

Darkstalker's eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Moon," he breathed ever so softly, and Moon could feel that tug; _that pull_ to obey him. To satisfy him. "Please move so I can teach this SandWing a lesson."

Moonwatcher felt her feet moving but forced her eyes closed.

 _Resist him,_ Clearsight's voice was faint in her mind.

She stayed her ground. "I will not move."

His eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "What?"

"I won't do it," she repeated. "You will not hurt them. _Remember_? Our deal?"

The growl Darkstalker released made a shiver run from her horns to the tip of her tail. He stared at her long and hard, a hint of the madness gleaming in his eyes. But after a moment he only chuckled, shaking off the whole incident as if nothing had happened.

"Their day will come." Darkstalker turned to leave, glancing back over his shoulder to look down at Qibli.

"Be grateful to your future Queen," Darkstalker said, silver eyes cold and full of malice. "She is the reason you still breathe." With that, the large NightWing moved to the far end of the field, only stopping to look back at the pair. "Come, Moon. We should return home."

"Moon," Qibli groaned, forcing himself to his feet. There was a scratch over his eye that ran blood down the side of his face. "Don't go."

"I'm sorry, Qibli," Moonwatcher whispered, giving him a sad smile. "I promise I'll try to see you again. All of you."

He pulled her into a hug, and Moon wanted to lose herself in his embrace. She didn't want him to go, just as much as he didn't want her to leave. But she had no choice in the matter.

"Keep them safe," she breathed into Qibli's ear, holding him tightly.

"Don't let him control you," Qibli breathed back.

They gave each other one final squeeze before the pulled apart.

"Moonwatcher!" Darkstalker barked.

"Goodbye."

Moon turned to return to Darkstalkers side, not daring to look back at Qibli to see the expression he might be wearing.

* * *

When they returned to the mountain, Darkstalker was livid. He paced back and forth his tail lashing and wings pressed tightly against his spine.

"Darkstalker, please just _listen_ to me."

"Why should I?" he snapped, freezing in his pacing to look at her. "You planned to betray me. You were going to run off with him, go back to that mountain and try to find some way to _kill me_."

Heat rushed to her face and she glanced away. "He offered it to me, but I told him no."

"Oh _, did you now_?" he asked incredulously. "I suppose you weren't also telling him how much you want to take away my bracelet."

A growl, deep and loud as thumber rumbled from his chest as he walked towards her. Moon lifted her head high and met his eyes with just as much challenge. "I trust you, Moonwatcher." He stated simply. "Do not give me a reason to distrust you, or else that could be dangerous for your well-being."

"Darkstalker, you're losing your _mind._ Don't you see this plan you have is impossible? Do you really think Glory will just hand over the NightWings to you? Do you really think the price of your soul is worth magic?"

"What I do with my magic is none of your concern!" He Darkstalker yelled, the spines along his back flaring in rage. "I feel stronger than ever!" His giant, midnight colored wings extended at his words; silver scales glittering like the night skin inside them. Darkstalker dipped his head until his face was in Moon's.

 _"And you, nor Fathom, will ever be able to hurt me again, Clearsight!"_

A soft gasp escaped from Moon at the name. _Did you...?_

Darkstalker's eyes widened. "I..."

Moon's mind touched his, and all his thoughts were suddenly jumbled and loud.

 _Why did I do that-_

 _She's not-_

 _Wanted to take away-_

 _Kill you-_

 _They lied to you, left you under the mountain-_

Darkstalker roared, clutching his horns and turning away from Moon. Moonwatched moved to reach out to him, but he jumped in the air and flew towards the skylight above.

"Darkstalker, wait!"

But he did not listen.

* * *

For two hours Moonwatcher waited for Darkstalker's return. She tried several times to reach out to him, but every time she would be met with a mental block. He had probably enchanted himself so she couldn't reach him.

But he'd called her Clearsight.

It was bound to happen eventually. But did he really only see her as Clearsight, his lost love? Or did he see her as Moon? Would he _ever_ see her for who she really was?

Moon stared down at her talons. Maybe he hadn't even cared about her at all... Just because she looked like Clearsight.

 _That's a lie_ , she reminded herself. _He knew you as Moon before he knew what you looked like. He's your... Friend._

She glanced up towards the skylight. It was cold tonight, and she was pretty sure she saw white snowflakes beginning to fall from the sky. No doubt Darkstalker must be cold out there... Wherever he was.

Deciding it was best that she find him, she few up through the skylight into the night. It was dark and cloudy, with speckles of snow falling on her snout. She sneezed as she began to circle the mountain top. Emerald eyes scanned the rocks, hoping to see his massive frame lounging somwhere.

Eventually, near the top, she found him.

He sat on a small flat ledge, a small pile of snow forming around his feet. She landed quietly behind him. He had never looked so... Broken.

His wings were laid on the ground behind him, as if he were wearing a massive cloak; head hung low, with tears streaming down his face before dripping off his snout. Glimpses of moonlight peeked through the clouds, casting a silver light on his dark scales. And in that moment, Moon realized that in this moment, Darkstalker's darkness was faded.

"I'm sorry," Darkstalker choked out in a broken voice. He didn't move.

"For what?" Moon asked as she moved forward, taking a seat beside him.

"For... Earlier. Everything." He sucked in a breath, his eyes falling closed. "You didn't deserve that."

"It's okay," she replied gently.

"No, it's not," he stated firmly, lifting his head a bit to look at her. His eyes searched her face before he lowered his head once more.

"You don't... You don't know how hard it is for me," he admitted, his talons curling against the snow. "To look at you. All I see is her in you. Her voice, the expressions you give... Even the way you act. It's all one giant tease and it's tormenting me."

Inhaling, he pulled himself up and looked down at her; tears still openly falling from his eyes. "Because when I see you, I see her, too. I want to just... Hold you, and give you everything I know you deserve."

Moon's heart was hammering almost painfully in her chest. What could she possibly say to him after a confession like that?

"Darkstalker, I..."

"Don't," he said, holding up a talon to cut her off. "I know the difference between the both of you... It's just... Hard." He swallowed down a lump that had been forming in his throat.

He looked to the sky, face pull of sorrow and pain. "I never told her how much I loved her," he choked out. And then he was crying.

Sobs that were filled with agony and loss filled the air, his shoulders shaking as tears openly fell from his face.

Moon's heart seemed to break at his confession. Slowly, gently she wrapped a wing around him and nuzzled her snout against his cheek. This didn't stop his cries of pain, but it did seem to help lessen the burden. She held him like that for a long time until he seemed to calm down a bit.

"She loved you too," Moon offered.

Darkstalker glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, looking away a moment later. He shifted from her a bit, but Moon kept her wing over his shoulders.

Lifting a talon in the air, he traced it in the air. Moon's eyes watched and... Bits of snow began to form into a small dragon. Not one, but two. The dragons played with one another, chasing and even flying when they wanted.

"Darkstalker..." Moon began warily.

"Please," Darkstalker replied quietly. "Just let me have this."

For several minutes the two dragons danced together in the snow. It was like Moon was watching a silent play. The two showing love and affection for each other, other times what seemed to be arguments and distrust. As his little story progressed, more dragons appeared. Two other NightWings, an IceWing, and a SeaWing.

 _Fathom_.

It showed the three sitting around each other. All having fun, running across the snow.

The story progressed. One of the NightWings disappeared. The IceWing crumbled into a pile of snow. Clearsight, who she assumed, left Darkstalker's side and went to Fathom. A small ice shard was the bracelet. Darkstalker and Clearsight reunite. Clearsight slips the sharp onto Darkstalker's wrist as it appears he tried to grab her... And Darkstalker crumbles to the ground, with all the remaining dragons following suit.

"That was beautiful," Moon offered. She wasn't lying.

Darkstalker got to his feet, pulling his wings up to his sides as he walked to the ledge. "It's over, isn't it?" He asked, particularly at no one. "I'll never see them again. Clearsight, Whiteout... Mother..." Another shakey breath. "I wish I could just move on..."

Moon moved to stand at his side. She missed her mother, too. "You don't have to move on. You can still remember them, and love them. Make them proud, Darkstalker. Strive to be better than you were before."

He looked down at her, and Moon felt her heart flutter in her chest. This look was different than all the previous ones he'd given her before. Darkstalker placed his talons over hers, and Moon smiled at him.

"Let's go back inside."

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ **HELLO YOU LOVELY FACED ANGELS, HOW ARE WE TODAY?**

 **First off, I want to give a mighty thank you to all of you that have left reviews! It really helped me write when I was going through severe writers block. Seriously, it genuinely makes me happy that so many of you like this so far. Now, a lot of you sent me messages or left reviews of when I was going to update, and I shall say this: My life is very complicated. I have a fulltime job, I have bills to pay, and honestly I spend a lot of my time on tumblr writing Reaper76 and stuff. (Yes, I am a HUGE Overwatch fan. Feel free to contact me for a battletag, I won't bite!)**

 **But that doesn't meanI have forgotten about this. I hope to have the next chapter out by at least the end of next month or sooner. Who knows, if I get a large enough feedback on this chapter it might be Thursday. XD You never know with me. ANYWAY, if you guys really want to keep in touch with me, I can either make a Discord where everyone can come chat in a friendly enviroment to talk about WOF and the fanfic, or just message me on my deviantart which is BringerOfAshes. Either one, let me know in your comments!**

 **Now I would like to give some shoutouts to some people who were really kind in their reviews, and answer a few questions :)**

 **Vixcon - Thank you ;o;**

 **ThaAnimeDragon - You're so sweet, lol, thanks again!**

 **MystycDragon - THAT'S IT I WIN I CONVERTED A WINTERWATCHER WHOO (tbh though I am also Winterwatcher trash RIP)**

 **DJKatt - In about two chapters you will love me... I think.**

 **BrightMind - Your reviews made me cry rainbows omg you're too sweet**

 **Zebracorn27 - JOIN THE DARKSIDE, WE HAVE DARKWATCHER AND IT'S LIT FAM**

 **Darkstalker - Darkstalker please shouldn't you be ruling over the NightWings instead of pestering me with questions**

 **To the the Guest - You come in my house. You insult my ship. Get oUT. In all seriousness though, if you do not like the ship, please do not leave anti-Darkwatcher comments. It already gets enough hate on DeviantART as it is. Just as a PSA, if this story DOES start to get hate, I will turn off guest comments.**

 **Question: "Who's the mysterious dragon?" I'm guessing that is from Sahel's commission of one of my book covers I wanted. As for that, it shall remain a secret until the bitter end ;)**

 **Anyway, goodbye lovlies! Until next update!**


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